Device power saving method and device power saving apparatus

Abstract

A device power saving method, and the method includes: generating a first message frame; sending the first message frame to the second device in one or more links associated with the second device; receiving a second message frame fed back by the second device in the one or more links associated with the second device, determining whether to enter a sleep mode in a sleep-mode-candidate link indicated by the identifier information bit based on the second message frame, and determining that the first device enters a sleep mode in all links with the second device, and then monitoring a downlink frame in one of the one or more links associated with the second device and obtaining time synchronization information for maintaining synchronous communication with the second device while all the plurality of links with the second device are in the power saving mode.

1 . A device power saving method, comprising:
 generating, by a first device, a first message frame, wherein the first message frame comprises an identifier information bit used to indicate to enter a power saving mode in one or more links of a plurality of links, wherein the first device communicates data frames with a second device via the plurality of links based on asynchronous communication mode;   sending, by the first device, the first message frame to the second device in one or more links associated with the second device;   receiving, by the first device, a second message frame fed back by the second device in the one or more links associated with the second device,   determining, by the first device, whether to enter a sleep mode in a sleep-mode-candidate link indicated by the identifier information bit based on the second message frame, wherein the second message frame is used to confirm or reject the first device to enter the sleep mode in the sleep-mode-candidate link indicated by the identifier information bit, and   determining, by the first device, that the first device enters a sleep mode in all links with the second device, and then monitoring a downlink frame in one of the one or more links associated with the second device and obtaining time synchronization information for maintaining synchronous communication with the second device while all the plurality of links with the second device are in the power saving mode.   
     
     
         2 . The device power saving method of  claim 1 , wherein the downlink frame comprises at least one of:
 a buffered downlink data frame; or   a frame indicating the buffered downlink data frame to be transmitted.   
     
     
         3 . The device power saving method of  claim 1 , wherein the first message frame is a data message frame or a management message frame; and
 wherein a media access control, MAC, frame header of the data message frame or the management message frame comprises a Frame Control field, the Frame Control field comprises a power management subfield and the power management subfield comprises the identifier information bit.   
     
     
         4 . The device power saving method of  claim 3 , wherein
 in case that the first message frame is the data message frame, the data message frame is a last data frame sent by the first device to the second device in current link; and   in case that the first message frame is the management message frame, the management message frame is sent after the first device completes transmission of all data frames to the second device in current link.   
     
     
         5 . The device power saving method of  claim 1 , wherein the second message frame is a reply acknowledgement, ACK, frame. 
     
     
         6 . The device power saving method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the second device, the first message frame from the first device in the one or more links associated with the second device;   feeding back, by the second device, the second message frame to the first device in the one or more links associated with the second device.   
     
     
         7 . The device power saving method of  claim 6 , wherein the first message frame is a data message frame or a management message frame; and
 in case that the first message frame is the data message frame, the second device receives the first message frame as a last data frame received in current link; and   in case that the first message frame is the management message frame, the second device receives the first message frame after completing receptions of all data frames in current link.   
     
     
         8 . A device power saving apparatus, comprising:
 a processor; and   a memory storing processor-executable instructions;   wherein, when the processor executes the processor-executable instructions, the processor is configured to perform operations comprising:   generating a first message frame, wherein the first message frame comprises an identifier information bit used to indicate to enter a power saving mode in one or more links of the plurality of links, wherein the device power saving apparatus communicates data frames with a second device via the plurality of links based on asynchronous communication mode;   sending the first message frame to a second device in one or more links associated with the second device;   receiving a second message frame fed back by the second device in the one or more links associated with the second device,   determining whether to enter a sleep mode in a sleep-mode-candidate link indicated by the identifier information bit based on the second message frame, wherein the second message frame is used to confirm or reject the device power saving apparatus to enter the sleep mode in the sleep-mode-candidate link indicated by the identifier information bit, and   determining that the device power saving apparatus enters a sleep mode in all links with the second device, and then monitoring a downlink frame in one of the one or more links associated with the second device and obtaining time synchronization information for maintaining synchronous communication with the second device while all the links with the second device are in the power saving mode.   
     
     
         9 . The device power saving apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the downlink frame comprises at least one of:
 a buffered downlink data frame; or   a frame indicating the buffered downlink data frame to be transmitted.   
     
     
         10 . The device power saving apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the first message frame is a data message frame or a management message frame; and
 wherein a media access control, MAC, frame header of the data message frame or the management message frame comprises a Frame Control field, the Frame Control field comprises a power management subfield and the power management subfield comprises the identifier information bit.   
     
     
         11 . The device power saving apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein
 in case that the first message frame is the data message frame, the data message frame is a last data frame sent by the device power saving apparatus to the second device in current link; and   in case that the first message frame is the management message frame, the management message frame is sent after the device power saving apparatus completes transmission of all data frames to the second device in current link.   
     
     
         12 . The device power saving apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the second message frame is a reply acknowledgement, ACK, frame. 
     
     
         13 . A device power saving system, comprising a first device, wherein the first device comprises:
 a first processor; and   a first memory storing processor-executable instructions;   wherein, when the first processor executes the processor-executable instructions, the first processor is configured to perform operations comprising:   generating a first message frame, wherein the first message frame comprises an identifier information bit used to indicate to enter a power saving mode in one or more links of the plurality of links, wherein the first device communicates data frames with a second device via the plurality of links based on asynchronous communication mode;   sending the first message frame to a second device in one or more links associated with the second device;   receiving a second message frame fed back by the second device in the one or more links associated with the second device,   determining whether to enter a sleep mode in a sleep-mode-candidate link indicated by the identifier information bit based on the second message frame, wherein the second message frame is used to confirm or reject a first device to enter the sleep mode in the sleep-mode-candidate link indicated by the identifier information bit, and   determining that the first device enters a sleep mode in all links with the second device, and then monitoring a downlink frame in one of the one or more links associated with the second device and obtaining time synchronization information for maintaining synchronous communication with the second device while all the links with the second device are in the power saving mode.   
     
     
         14 . The device power saving system of  claim 13 , wherein the downlink frame comprises at least one of:
 a buffered downlink data frame; or   a frame indicating the buffered downlink data frame to be transmitted.   
     
     
         15 . The device power saving system of  claim 13 , wherein the first message frame is a data message frame or a management message frame; and
 wherein a media access control, MAC, frame header of the data message frame or the management message frame comprises a Frame Control field, the Frame Control field comprises a power management subfield and the power management subfield comprises the identifier information bit.   
     
     
         16 . The device power saving system of  claim 15 , wherein
 in case that the first message frame is the data message frame, the data message frame is a last data frame sent by the first device to the second device in current link; and   in case that the first message frame is the management message frame, the management message frame is sent after the first device completes transmission of all data frames to the second device in current link.   
     
     
         17 . The device power saving system of  claim 13 , wherein the second message frame is a reply acknowledgement, ACK, frame. 
     
     
         18 . The device power saving system of  claim 13 , further comprising the second device, wherein the second device comprises:
 a second processor; and   a second memory storing processor-executable instructions;   wherein, when the second processor executes the processor-executable instructions, the second processor is configured to perform operations comprising:   receiving the first message frame from the first device in the one or more links associated with the second device;   feeding back the second message frame to the first device in the one or more links associated with the second device.   
     
     
         19 . The device power saving system of  claim 18 , wherein the first message frame is a data message frame or a management message frame; and
 in case that the first message frame is the data message frame, the second processor receives the first message frame as a last data frame received in current link; and   in case that the first message frame is the management message frame, the second processor receives the first message frame after completing receptions of all data frames in current link.